Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has declared that President Akufo-Addo’s directive for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to suspend their contract comes belatedly.
Dr Forson’s remarks add a sharp perspective to the unfolding developments, suggesting a sense of urgency that has long been overdue in addressing the contentious contract between GRA and SML.
This development follows President Akufo-Addo’s recent decision to appoint KPMG for an urgent audit of the transaction between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML). The move underscores a heightened commitment to scrutinizing the intricacies of the GRA-SML transaction, adding a layer of urgency to the unfolding situation.
A contractual agreement aimed at bolstering revenue assurance within the downstream petroleum sector, upstream petroleum production, and the value chain of minerals and metals resources.
President Akufo-Addo has set a tight two-week deadline for KPMG to fulfill the assigned task, directing the audit firm to submit pertinent recommendations upon completion. This decisive move signals a swift and time-sensitive approach to address the ongoing situation.
In a concise statement, the Minority leader characterized the President’s action as an endeavor to whitewash the contract under the guise of an audit.
“This whitewashing attempt by the President in the name of an audit will not dissuade Parliament from looking into this matter to stop the siphoning of state resources into the private pockets of government officials and their crony business partners,” Dr. Ato Forson stated.
Below is the statement by the Minority Leader Dr Ato Forson
President Akufo-Addo’s appointment of KPMG to audit the so-called revenue assurance agreement between Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) has come too late in the day.
Parliament has already directed the Finance Committee to audit the infamous agreement and the Committee is actively seized of the matter.
The President, who should have led this fight in the wake of this scandal, is playing catch up since Parliament has also directed GRA to suspend all payments to SML.
This whitewashing attempt by the President in the name of an audit will not dissuade Parliament from looking into this matter to stop the siphoning of state resources into the private pockets of government officials and their crony business partners.